Industry

German manufacturers predict 20% order slump in 2009 / Crisis year will follow record sales

Dubai exchange again delays plastics futures launch

Recession casts its shadow as economy tanks / Readership survey mirrors deterioration of business in H2 2008 and a subdued outlook for 2009 / Consumers of semi-finished products provide slight ray of hope

UK plastics industry could lose nearly 10,000 jobs / Members' survey highlights problems with credit and credit insurance

European Parliament passes new safety directive

PAFA warning on credit insurance withdrawal

Review of anti-dumping duty on Indian goods

List of 150,000 pre-registered substances published / Final screening process continues

CLEPA: European companies need over EUR 25 bn / Bailout funds in Germany and France

The crash comes: A market buoyant in spring tanks in autumn / Polymer producers pull the emergency brake / Converters and end users clear stocks and close early / Machinery sector twiddles thumbs / Bottoming out in 2009?

WTO rules that China must lower tariffs

Industry threatened by falling margins and exports

French engineering federation calls for financial assistance for automotive suppliers

US Food and Drug Administration spreads its wings / Offices in China, India and Europe

Anti-dumping investigation into polyamide imports from the EU, USA and Taiwan

Cefic forecasts decline in output of 0.6% in 2008

Demand again grew faster than GDP in 2007 / Consumption 52.5m t / Germany still the biggest producer / Half of European plastics waste is recycled / PlasticsEurope report “Compelling Facts about Plastics 2007” on the EU27 plus Norway and Switzerland

China and EU sign revised product safety agreement / Trilateral meeting in Brussels / Call for common standards

CMAI sees flood of polyolefins on its way from the Middle East / Successful conference in Düsseldorf

Plastic packaging associations CSEMP and UNITES merge / Segment has sales of EUR 7.1 bn

EU Parliament about to adopt revised toy safety directive / Calls for independent checks

New "A-Plastixx" indices enable analysis of plastic prices by individual markets / Greater transparency for converters and their customers / Packaging, construction, automotive and E&E applications

UK consultant to become SPE president

Financial crisis: merger of Hexion and Huntsman still touch and go / Ineos and LyondellBasell under pressure? / Companies deny media reports

Plastics futures market opens in US